Democrats Take Control of Senate
Thursday May 24 11:53 AM ET
By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
<<WASHINGTON (AP) - In a seismic shift of power, Democrats will gain control of the Senate for the first time since 1994 after Vermont Sen. James Jeffords (news - web sites) abandoned the Republican Party and declared himself an independent Thursday.
Jeffords said he found himself increasingly at odds with President Bush (news - web sites) and Republican leaders on issues from abortion and education to tax cuts. He said it had become difficult in recent months for Bush and other party leaders ``to deal with me and for me to deal with them.''
``Looking ahead, I can see more and more instances in which I will disagree with the president on fundamental issues,'' he told a news conference in Burlington, Vt.
Bush took issue with Jeffords' assertion that the GOP had become too conservative. ``I couldn't disagree more,'' the president said in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. ``I was elected to get things done on behalf of the American people and to work with both Republicans and Democrats and we're doing just that.''
Jeffords' move not only cost Republicans the fragile control they held over a 50-50 Senate but also the ability to move Bush's agenda through Congress and ratify his judicial nominees.
Jeffords' announcement sent a wave of jubilation through Senate Democrats. Sen. Harry Reid (news - bio - voting record) of Nevada, the party's whip, encountered Sen. Patty Murray (news - bio - voting record) of Washington just outside the Senate chamber. ``Congratulations,'' she said with a smile. He replied with a hug.
Republican senators marched somberly into a closed-door meeting - and political uncertainty. ``We need to take some inventory here,'' said Sen. Chuck Hagel (news - bio - voting record) of Nebraska, ``... and maybe make some adjustments.''
Sen. John McCain (news - bio - voting record), R-Ariz., a maverick who unsuccessfully fought Bush for the GOP presidential nomination last year, criticized Republicans for intolerance of internal disagreement while treating Jeffords too harshly.
``Tolerance of dissent is the hallmark of a mature party, and it is well past time for the Republican Party to grow up,'' McCain said in a written statement.
The impact of Jeffords' switch was unprecedented. Never before in the nation's history has control of the Senate changed parties other than through an election.
Jeffords, 67, said he promised Bush to delay the switch until after Congress completes work on the tax cut. House and Senate negotiators are working on a compromise version that could be written and win approval as early as Friday.
In an attempt to keep Jeffords in the party, Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott had promised more money for Jeffords' favored education programs and a waiver of term limits to let him remain chairman of the Education Committee beyond the end of next year.
But Democrats also dangled offers, including chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
With Jeffords' move, Democratic proposals on health care, education, the minimum wage and other issues will now move to the forefront in the Senate. South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle will replace Lott as majority leader and Democrats will take all the committee chairmanships away from Republicans, except for the newly independent Jeffords as head of Environment and Public Works.
``It's not only just chairmanships. It's staff, the country, the presidency. We're not just talking about a singular moment,'' said Sen. Olympia Snowe (news - bio - voting record), R-Maine, a moderate and close friend of Jeffords.
``This isn't about a single Senate seat,'' said Sen. Robert Torricelli (news - bio - voting record), D-N.J. ``It's about controlling the legislative agenda ... and it's about the federal judiciary. This is an enormous shift of influence in the federal government.''
Jeffords' loss also is a defeat for Lott, R-Miss., who began the year and this week as majority leader.
Lott defended Jeffords several years ago when conservatives upset with his liberal voting habits wanted him replaced as chairman of a Senate committee.
The blame game among Republicans began as soon as it became clear that Jeffords' unhappiness with his party's move to the right became an immediate crisis.
``We have no one to blame but ourselves,'' said GOP consultant John Weaver, who clashed with the Bush team as a McCain's presidential campaign adviser.
Sen. Pete Domenici (news - bio - voting record), R-N.M., said the attempts to persuade Jeffords to remain in the fold ``were a little late in coming.''
Jeffords' relations with the White House have been strained for weeks. He backed reductions in Bush's original 10-year, $1.6 trillion tax cut in favor of increasing federal support for education.
He was among the moderates of both parties who advocated changing Bush's proposal so that more of tax cut would go to Americans with more moderate incomes. With those changes made, Jeffords voted with the majority Wednesday to pass an 11-year, $1.35 trillion tax package.
Jeffords also let it be known he was unhappy not to be invited to a teacher-of-the-year ceremony at the White House following his earlier vote on the Bush tax plan. The recipient was from Vermont, and he is chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.>> |
